Cheaper, Better, Faster (24 page)

Equipment—nursery security viewer

Check on your sleeping infant without making noise or waking her up by installing a security door viewer in the nursery door.

Fear
of the dark

If your children are fearful of the dark, send each to bed with a small flashlight. For the first few nights, they might flash it on and off until they fall asleep, but after the novelty wears off, they will keep it nearby for emergencies. Funny how that works, but it does. And for the cost of a few batteries, it's a great way to help children with their fear of the dark.

Food and meals—
cereal mugs

Serve cereal to little kids in large mugs instead of easy-to-tip cereal bowls. The handle helps kids control the messies.

Food and meals—mealtime tray

Use a muffin tin as a food tray for a picnic outside, snacks during a movie, or for a sick child. Paper cupcake liners can hold the different foods.

Games and
puzzles—make puzzles for toddlers

Glue brightly colored pictures from magazines or books onto pieces of cardboard. When dry, draw lines shaped like puzzle pieces over the pictures. Cut the pieces out and teach little ones how to put puzzle pieces together. For very young tots, cut into only two or three pieces.

Games and puzzles—map puzzles

Make inexpensive map puzzles to help your kids learn geography. Paste any map (world, country, state, or county) onto a sheet of poster board. Allow to dry. Cut into puzzle-shape pieces. For a map of the United States, cut along state borders.

Games and puzzles—memory game

Collect two identical copies of each family member's photo, and glue them to the lids of frozen-juice cans. On the opposite side of every game piece, glue a paper circle with the game's title, such as “Reese's Memory Game.” To play, lay out all pieces with photos facedown. The child turns over one piece, names the family member, then attempts to locate its matching piece. Before long your child will recognize by face and name all family members, even those who live far away. Even a toddler can play.

Games
and puzzles—new puzzles

When your kids get a new puzzle, number the box and put the same number on each puzzle piece. This way, if the pieces are accidentally mixed in with another puzzle, the kids can return the pieces to their proper place.

Games and puzzles—part replacements

Don't throw that game or toy away because some parts are missing. You can get a complete set of Monopoly money, 32 little green houses, a Boggle timer, Clue weapons, or Sorry! tokens at
www.Hasbro.com
. Hasbro owns Parker Brothers and other game and toy companies, so check on their
website for more information. If you need Mattel or Fisher-Price game or toy replacement parts, visit
www.Mattel.com
.

Games and puzzles—playing-card holder

Tiny hands can hold playing cards if you make a holder from two plastic lids. Use margarine lids or the plastic tops from cans of potato chips. Simply line up the lids and secure them with a brass fastener or a button sewn on with sturdy thread. The cards just slip into the hairline space between the two lids.

Games and puzzles—
rent video games before buying

When your kids want a new video game, rent it first to see if it's the appropriate age and skill level for them. You'll avoid spending big bucks on a game they may never play.

Hair—tiny ponytails

Tiny rubber bands from the orthodontist office are perfect to hold ponytails in an infant's fine hair. Just one twist and that pony will stay all day.

Memories—memory quilts

If you've saved lots of your kids' baby clothes and blankets, here's a terrific idea for what to do with them. Make quilts for each child from pieces of their old baby clothes.

Memories—when you're away

Leave a camera or camcorder with your babysitter so the next time your child does something new and special, you won't have to miss it.

Memories—YOU, the journal

Not into keeping detailed baby books? That's okay. Instead write your child a detailed letter for his or her birthday, citing the milestones of the past year. Keep each one, and by the time the child is grown, you'll have an excellent life journal.

On the go—10-gallon tub

A 10-gallon storage tub makes a great baby bathtub for home or travel. Just load it up with bath toys, towels, washcloths, and other items. If on vacation, you're ready to give your little one a bath in familiar surroundings without having to sit in a questionably “clean” motel bathtub.

On the go—bubbles

Keep a bottle of bubble solution and a couple of wands in your purse. You won't believe all the times you'll be able to pull that out to keep the kids happily occupied while waiting.

On the go—crayon tote

Metal bandage containers make great on-the-road crayon holders. Small enough to carry in your bag, the containers can be pulled out any time you want to keep little hands busy.

On the
go—lunch prep

If you have older kids in school and little ones at home, pack everyone a lunch. This way if you have to run out unexpectedly, you and the little ones have lunch all ready to go. No need to spend on fast food.

On the go—packing
for kids

When traveling with small children, put one day's outfit (shirt, pants, socks, underwear) into a gallon-size ziplock bag. Seal partway, push out air, and seal the rest of the way to make it very compact. This saves space in the suitcase and allows you or your child to find their clothes without rummaging through everything. Keeps everything nice and clean too.

On the go—portable swimming
toys

Use a large mesh laundry bag to carry your kids' toys to and from the beach or public pool. When you return home, hose down the bag and hang it
outside or over your tub so the toys can air-dry.

Organization and storage—double-decked closet

In the children's closets, install a high clothes rod for seldom-worn dress clothes and a lower one for everyday items. The lower one should be positioned so the child can easily reach it.

Organization and storage—laundry

If your children wear different sizes of similar underwear, socks, and T-shirts, doing the laundry can be enough to send you to the funny farm because everything looks alike. Clearly, your family needs to get color-coded, and the sooner the better. Pick up a variety of fabric paints so you have a different color for each member. Mark the toes of socks and the labels on underwear and T-shirts with the owner's color. Now folding and sorting laundry will be so easy, even the kids can do it.

Organization
and storage—make up complete outfits

If you iron your kids' school and play clothes (or even if you don't), place complete outfits on hangers with socks, barrettes, belts, and other accessories tucked in a pocket. This saves a lot of time and frustration when it's time to get up and get ready to go.

Safety—high-chair
security

Keep baby from sliding around in the high chair. Line the chair seat with a small rubber bath or sink mat. Cut to fit if necessary.

Safety—security whistle

When going to an unfamiliar or crowded place, give small children a whistle to blow should they become separated from you.

Safety—wading pool

To keep a child from slipping in a plastic wading pool, on the bottom affix nonslip
adhesive shapes designed for the bathtub.

School—assignment book

If your child is forgetful about homework and household chores, get a special notebook for writing down assignments. This will give your youngster an incentive to keep track of homework, just like Mom and Dad jot down appointments in their special books.

School—first-day-of-school security photo

Help youngsters eliminate first-day-of-school jitters by taping a family portrait or photo of a pet to the notebook or lunch box your child takes to school.

School—free supplies

Keep your eyes open at the office. Instead of throwing away outdated three-ring binders, pocket folders, unprinted computer runs, and other useful supplies, bring them home for the kids' school supplies, or donate them to your local school. Company logos can be covered with popular stickers or vinyl-paint designs.

School—high school ring

Before spending a lot on a high school ring for your student, check with local jewelry stores. Most people do not realize that local stores offer a wider variety of styles for at least two-thirds less than the on-campus company's price. Since this item commonly carries a price tag of $200 to $300, it pays to shop around.

School—home reading lessons

If your kids love to help out in the kitchen, let them read the recipe as you cook. This way, they get a reading lesson and learn how to follow directions, and you get to spend more time with them.

School—homework totes

Don't discard cardboard tubes from waxed paper and plastic
wrap. Give them to your kids to carry homework like maps and art projects back and forth to school.

Teaching responsibility—during school vacations

To keep skills sharp during school vacations, give kids schoolwork and chores each day. To improve their enthusiasm, decorate a big cardboard box and write Mom's Really Fantastic Prize Box on the outside. Fill the box with assorted small toys, and small packages of mints or candy bars, and so on. This will stop the nagging and the groaning.

Teaching responsibility—lost
winter wear

Most kids go through stages when they lose every hat, scarf, and pair of gloves they own. So the next time cold-weather gear goes on sale, buy a few extras and hide them away. Whenever they can't find their winter wear, allow them to rent a substitute for, say, 50 cents. You'll make a few bucks in the beginning, but plan on business dropping off considerably as your kids quickly become responsible.

Teaching responsibility—setting
a table

Teach your kids to set the table by taping a diagram to the refrigerator. While you cook, they set and learn. Teamwork in action.

Toys—documented age range

Use a permanent marker to write the suggested age range on children's toys. This makes figuring out which toys are ready to be donated a snap and eliminates the confusion and clutter of keeping unwanted toys.

Toys—doll clothes
for less

Newborn-size clothes from garage sales make great clothes for large baby dolls. They are better quality and a fraction of the price of new doll clothes.

Toys
—make bowling pins

Empty 2-liter soda bottles make great bowling pins for kids. Put a little sand or some pebbles inside the bottles to make them more stable and use a lightweight playground ball as a bowling ball. Best used outdoors, in the basement, or in a clear area such as the kitchen floor.

Toys—road for toy cars

Make a roll-up roadway for the kids to drive toy cars along. On a piece of canvas, draw or tape out highways and byways with markers or electrical tape. Draw traffic signs, buildings, trees, gas stations, parking lots, and so on. When it's time to stow the roadway, you just roll it up.

Toys—swap

Start a toy-swapping club with other families. Trade toys your kids have outgrown or no longer use. Plan a really special trade during the first part of December. Young children don't care whether new toys are actually new or not.

Bleaching—no chlorine

If you want to keep your white laundry stain-free and brilliantly white without using chlorine bleach, here's the secret: Fill the washing machine with the hottest water available. Add 1 cup Cascade automatic dishwasher powder and 1 cup washing soda (you can find this in the supermarket laundry section). Add washable whites and allow to agitate for a few minutes. Turn the machine off and allow to soak at least 3 hours (overnight is fine). Finish the cycle and dry as usual.

Bleaching—
use half

You can cut the amount of chlorine bleach used in your wash by half when you add
½
cup baking soda to top-loading washing machines or
¼
cup to front loaders.

Candle wax—remove from tablecloths

To remove candle wax from a tablecloth, use a dull knife to scrape off as much wax as possible. Place the fabric between two blotters or facial tissues and press with a warm iron. Apply laundry stain treatment.
Wash with detergent in the hottest water that is safe for the fabric.

Color setting

White vinegar sets the color in washables. The first time you wash dark and bright colors, add 1 cup of white vinegar to the wash water.

Colorfastness

Will your new blue blouse run in the wash? Take a light-colored, wet washcloth and rub an inside seam of the blouse. If any color rubs off, the garment will run. Hand wash or dry-clean instead.

Corduroy

Keep corduroy looking brand-new. Wash inside out and according to label directions. If necessary, iron corduroy inside out to avoid crushing the pile.

Delicates—baby shampoo

Instead of using expensive cold-water detergents for delicates and fine sweaters, use baby shampoo. The results will be the same, and the cost is considerably less.

Delicates—hand washables in the shower

Take your delicate items that require hand washing into the shower with you. Instead of laundry detergent or Woolite, wash them with your shampoo.

Delicates—in a pillowcase

Machine wash hosiery and other delicate items in the washing machine by first putting them into a pillowcase and closing it with a safety pin.

Dryer—air-dry instead

Dryer lint is visual proof of just how destructive drying is to clothes. And if that's not enough, the heat causes gradual shrinking (expect even your preshrunk garments to lose another 5 percent). Whenever possible, air-dry your clothing. You'll cut energy
costs and prolong the life of your garments. When you do use the dryer, turn dress garments inside out to minimize the pilling on the outside.

Dryer sheets—dispenser

Mount a paper towel holder next to the clothes dryer to dispense a roll of fabric softener sheets for easy access. And keep an empty tissue box close by to stash the used dryer sheets, which can be recycled.

Dryer sheets—use
more than once

There is no need to throw out your fabric softener sheet after one use. One sheet will work just fine for two or even three loads of laundry.

Dryer sheets—use washcloths instead

As a cheaper substitute for dryer sheets, dampen an old washcloth with liquid softener, throw it in the dryer with a load of clothes, and you'll have static-free, good smelling, soft laundry. Wash and dry the cloth every couple of loads so it will continue to absorb the solution.

Drying—bathroom rack

Create a convenient drying rack in your bathroom. Install an adjustable tension-type shower curtain rod or two over the center of the tub at a height that is easy to reach but well out of the way when you shower. Drips will go down the drain instead of all over the floor.

Drying—comforter or pillow

When drying a comforter or pillow in the clothes dryer, toss in a couple of clean tennis shoes. They will bounce around on the items and keep them from bunching up.

Drying—cut
the time, use extra spin

When you have a heavy load in the washing machine, such as towels, reset the machine for an extra spin dry. The drying time will then be reduced considerably.

Drying—cut the time, with dry
towels

A dry towel in the dryer with a very damp load will speed drying time. The towel will absorb a lot of the moisture.

Drying—dry several loads at
once

Don't dry only one load of laundry. Do several loads if you can, one right after the other. It takes a lot of energy to get the dryer from room temperature to hot, so while it's at that level, take full advantage and save energy.

Drying—marks
from clothes rack

If the bars of your wooden clothes-drying rack leave brown stripes on your clothes, you can solve the problem easily by covering the bars with aluminum foil.

Drying—outdoor hangers

Protect the clothes you hang outdoors from taking off in a strong wind: Put each piece of clothing on two hangers, hooks reversed, to keep the hangers from falling.

Drying—plastic shower curtain

Yes, you can dry a plastic shower curtain in the dryer. Set the temperature to low and add one or two dry towels. Common sense says plastic in a clothes dryer presents a potential fire hazard. So don't even think about walking away. Stand there for the 2 minutes it takes to remove the wrinkles and dry the shower curtain.

Drying—unmentionables

Heat deteriorates hosiery and misshapes bras, so air-dry whenever possible.

Ironing—emergency board

Need an emergency ironing board? Use a kitchen breadboard covered with a dish towel.

Ironing—lightly
scented

If you do not like to spray perfume directly onto your
clothes or skin, try giving your ironing board a squirt or dab before pressing your blouse, trousers, or skirt. The steam from the iron draws just the whisper of the scent, and it clings to the fabric all day.

Ironing—out of time

If you run out of time before you finish ironing, stuff any clothes you've dampened into a plastic bag and store the bag in the refrigerator. This prevents mildew and saves the time it would take to dampen them again.

Ironing—pleats

Use bobby pins or clothespins at the bottom of each pleat to hold it flat while you iron.

Lint—on corduroy

To remove lint from corduroy garments after laundering, take them out of the dryer while they're still damp and brush vigorously with a clothes brush. The next time you wash the items, keep them lint-free by turning them inside out before laundering.

Lint—on dark clothes

Use a bit of white vinegar in the final rinse water to keep lint from clinging to dark clothes.

Mending kit for laundry
room

Create a mending kit for the laundry room. Thread several sewing needles with basic colors, stick them into a pincushion, and hang it near the dryer.

Odors—baking soda
in the hamper

Sprinkle baking soda into the laundry hamper to minimize odors from soiled clothing.

Odors—perspiration in clothes

Perspiration odors in washable clothing can be removed by wetting the affected areas and rubbing in baking soda before laundering.

Odors—smoke in clothes

When washing smoky-smelling duds, add 1 cup baking soda to the wash cycle. If laundering doesn't do the trick, check whether your dry cleaner offers a treatment that removes smoke odor. This treatment does cost more than regular cleaning, but it might be worth the cost if the clothes are of particular value.

Pillows

Hand wash foam-filled pillows in mild detergent, then roll them in a towel and squeeze out excess water. Machine drying could cause a fire, so always air-dry foam-filled pillows away from heat.

Presoak manually

Instead of using the presoak and prewash cycles on your washing machine, which use additional water and energy, use the regular cycle but turn it off after the clothes agitate a few minutes. Let them soak for an hour or overnight, and then resume the rest of the cycle.

Pretreat collars and cuffs

Use shampoo to pretreat dirty collars and cuffs. Scrub gently with an old toothbrush. Shampoo is meant to clean body oil, which is exactly what that ring is.

Rugs—in
a pillowcase

Cotton and synthetic braided throw rugs are generally machine washable in cold water on a gentle cycle. The agitation of the machine, however, can be hard on these types of rugs, so to keep them intact, put the rug into a pillowcase and close it with a safety pin. Throw the rug, case and all, into the washing machine for a gentle yet effective cleaning. Be sure to test that the rug is colorfast prior to laundering.

Scorch
marks from white cotton

The best way to remove scorch marks from white cotton is with 3 percent hydrogen
peroxide, which acts like bleach. Using an eyedropper, saturate the scorched area, and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Repeat until the marks have disappeared, then flush the fabric with water.

Socks—keep in bags

No more lost socks. Make each family member—even the baby—a drawstring sock bag to keep in his room. All dirty socks go in, and the bag is thrown into the wash. After drying, the bag, still full, is returned to its owner intact.

Socks—pin them

Pin kids' dirty socks together before dropping them in the laundry. The time invested will be more than returned when you're sorting laundry later.

Stains
and spots—basic solution for fabrics

Mix 1 cup Cascade (powdered) and 1 cup Clorox 2 with very hot tap water in a large pail or container. Soak stained articles overnight. Wash as usual.

Stains and spots—blood

Presoak bloodstained clothing in cold or warm water for at least 30 minutes. If the stain remains, soak in lukewarm ammonia water (3 tablespoons ammonia per gallon of water). Rinse. If the stain still remains, work in detergent and wash, using fabric-safe bleach.

Stains and spots—cocoa and chocolate

To remove cocoa and chocolate stains, scrub the stained area immediately with cold water. Apply laundry stain remover to area and wash as usual.

Stains and spots—coffee

The key to treating coffee stains is to get at them as quickly as possible. If the garment must be dry-cleaned, don't waste any time getting it to the cleaner. If it's washable, immediately rinse it in cold water and apply a good prewash treatment as soon as possible. Wash the garment in warm, soapy water, then rinse and allow it to drip-dry.
Don't put it in the dryer just in case all the stain didn't come out, which sometimes happens with coffee, and you need to repeat the process.

Stains and spots—deodorant

Vinegar applied to clothing stained by deodorant removes the spots from most fabrics. Soak the soiled area in the vinegar, then launder the garment as usual.

Stains and spots—fruit, berries, and juice

Stains in fabric from fruits, berries, and juices should be sponged immediately with cold water. Then if it's safe for the fabric, hold the garment over the sink and pour boiling water through the stain. Follow by working laundry detergent into the stain and rinse.

Stains and
spots—grass, with rubbing alcohol

Pretreat minor grass stains on washable fabric with full-strength rubbing alcohol. Rub gently and launder as usual.

Stains and spots—grass, with
shampoo

To remove grass stains from clothes, spot-treat the stain with a shampoo made for oily hair.

Stains and spots—ink, with borax mixture

Place the ink-stained fabric over several thicknesses of paper toweling. Combine 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 1 tablespoon milk, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon borax in a small bowl, and “paint” the spot. Wait for a few minutes, then sponge the area with cool water. Repeat until the stain is gone.

Stains and spots—ink, with hair spray

Aerosol hair sprays, because they contain a high concentration of acetone, will remove some ballpoint ink stains from clothing. Try this: Hold a rag under the fabric to blot the ink that comes through on the other side, then aim and spray. Remember this tip when
you're at the office and get an ink stain. Someone usually has hair spray, and the key to beating an ink stain is to tackle it as quickly as possible.

Stains and spots—
ink, with milk

A quick, easy, and cheap way to get ink spots out of washable clothing is to soak the stain in milk. Wash as usual.

Stains and spots—
last-ditch effort

After you've tried every method you know to remove impossible stains such as mildew from fabric, try this: Use a cotton swab to apply a commercial mildew stain product such as Tilex directly to the stain. Let stand for about a minute and wash immediately. This will work on colorfast or white fabrics but will leave a huge bleach mark on noncolorfast items. This is a last-ditch, severe action—so beware.

Stains and spots—lipstick

Use hair spray to remove lipstick stains from clothing. Spray it on, let it sit for a minute or two, and wipe carefully. Launder as usual.

Stains and spots—makeup

Here's a wonderful prewash treatment for cleaning makeup from collars: Mix equal amounts of white vinegar and liquid dish-washing detergent like Dawn or Joy. Rub into the soiled collar or other soiled spots, and toss into the washing machine. Launder as usual.